President Kim Il Sung left a special and unforgettable anecdote in the chronicles of his immortal revolutionary external activities for the development of friendly relations with all countries around the world that aspire to independence and peace.
One day in July 1993, when the international political situation was rapidly changing, President Kim Il Sung met with the newly appointed Ambassador of Bulgaria to our country.
Welcoming his appointment as Ambassador, President Kim Il Sung said that he wasn’t sure whether to address him as “Comrade” or “Your Excellency”.
The Ambassador answered that “Your Excellency” had become formal mode of address now that the situation has changed in his country.
President Kim Il Sung said to the Ambassador that our people have exceptional friendly feelings toward the people of his country and that it is the common desire of the two peoples to continuously develop the friendly relations between the two countries. He added to say, “The situation changes, but people never change.”
The situation changes, but people never change – these words of President Kim Il Sung were permeated with this noble meaning. The international situation may change, but the historic relations of friendship, established and developed between the two peoples, would never change, and they would continue to be maintained from generation to generation.
As in the past so also in future, our people will value and further develop the friendly relations with the peoples from all over the world who respect our country’s sovereignty and are friendly towards us.
